Intrastriatal injections of the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor, malonate, cause a rise in extracellular amino acids that is blocked by MK-801

The effects of intrastriatal injections of a reversible inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase, malonate, on the extracellular concentrations of amino acid neurotransmitters were examined using a microdialysis probe that was positioned a fixed distance from an injection cannula. Malonate (2 μmol) caused a 23 ± 5-fold increase in extracellular glutamate (Glu), a 18 ± 6-fold increase in extracellular γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and a modest increase in extracellular aspartate (Asp, 2.9 ± 0.8-fold increase). Administration of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (5 mg/kg) prior to injection of malonate almost completely blocked these increases. This study provides direct evidence that inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase causes an increase in extracellular amino acid neurotransmitters and further evidence that bioenergetic defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases through an excitotoxic mechanism.